January Visiting Teaching

So starting tomorrow i will have been on maternity leave for 6 weeks already ; the first 3 weeks didn't count as we were down with family and it was Christmas, but the past 3 weeks have been ever so slow.. I am full term starting Saturday and this little guy could come anytime - and that gets me SO excited!

Anyways, for Christmas I got a bunch of cross stitching stuff and my Mom got me a sewing machine ; I thought actually owning a real live sewing machine was going to turn me into this awesome seamstress. turns out I haven't touched a sewing machine since grade 7 .. and it shows!

With all my spare time I thought I would spend it being crafty and such but instead I spend my time on pinterest hoping I was crafty enough to try all the really cute stuff I find out there. okay not all my time - "blog bouncing" has become my new thing - especially blogs of new moms and their adventures of adapting to a whole new life.

Well this month I was in charge of the lesson for Visiting teaching - might I add I love the ladies I visit teach and I absolutely love my companion Cynthia who just so happens to be from Lethbridge and her husband is a civil engineer and so Colin and Blake share a common interest as well! its always nice to have a couple you can hang out with sometimes the guys get along and not the girls or vice-versa but she is so awesome and is also in Primary with me as well.

The lesson for visiting teaching this month was on visiting teaching and the importance of getting to know the ladies in your ward and not just reading the message and leaving. Before November  I  had never been visiting teaching before.  I  was put on a day route but  I  was always working during the day so my companion just went with out me. So i was super nervous as  I  felt incompetent ; especially with there being lots of older ladies in our ward that are more visiting teachingly seasoned.. but  I  got stuck with 3 awesome ladies and its a blast to go and chat and have some meaningful conversation.

I am a visual learner  I  can't just be told something and remember it;  I  need to see something so it can jog my memory a little bit.  I decided to have a visual aid of some sort to go along with the lesson that  I  teach every other month . This month I was going to make home made heating pads filled with rice that you can just pop in the microwave ( Blake was super nice one day and made me one out of a pair of his socks - which he insisted had only been worn once or twice.. somehow I thought my visiting teachers wouldn't appreciate the sock gesture as much as I did, but I am grateful for a very thoughtful husband who even though has a whole lot going on always thinks of me and how I'm doing). I incorporated it into the lesson ; that as visiting teachers we can be like that heating pad; if ever they are feeling cold or sad remember we are there for them to warm them up. This may sound cheesy but  I  was destined to try out my new sewing machine..
here are some pictures of my adventure!

so  I  tried to wind the bobbin but instead of winding it around the bobbin it wound around the post you put the bobbin on.. and  I  didn't notice.. for quite some time...

I put the rice first in muslin material; which is breathable in hot conditions and seems how these will be going in the microwave  I  thought it was a very clever idea as  I 'd hate for it to catch on fire or something!
(  I  had heard about muslin material before and  I  knew it was called muslin but when  I went to the fabric store and asked the nice East Indian lady where the Muslim material was... yeah definitely made my list of top 10 most embarrassing things to come out of my mouth.  I  had to chalk that one up to pregnancy brain she luckily knew what  I  meant and pointed me to the corner where it just so happens everything was 50% off!)

I then fashioned a nice bag to go around it; slid the rice bag inside and sewed up the top!

I'd say all in all they turned out pretty darn cute!!! after a few not so cute trial runs;  I  didn't take pictures as  I  didn't want to document that embarrassing moment in my life - times like these I wish I had my sister in laws sense of creativity and craftiness!

my favorites

So here i am at 34 weeks pregnant. with nothing to do but sew, i sewed all day long ; which is strange because i don't think I've touched a sewing machine since home EC in grade 7.
But being on maternity leave has been really fun; i thought i would just sleep all day but since Blakes' been back to school i get up with him at 6 in the morning ( after uncomfortably "resting my eyes" (as im' not sure how much sleep is actually involved) for about 4-5 hours) to make him breakfast and his lunch and send him off to school, i feel like such a mom already! i can't believe that in nearly 5 weeks i could be a new mom; i am getting anxious to meet him but it will be so weird not being pregnant anymore!
This got me thinking about what my favorite things about pregnancy are and have been.

1. When I told Blake I was pregnant and he just stood there as i hugged him and jumped up and down and he made me take like 3 more tests just to be sure, and when i told him i wanted to tell my mom and he made me wait, and i accidentally ended up telling her over text thinking i was texting him and not my mom.

2. When i heard this little guys heart beat for the first time. that fast paced washing machine sound nearly melted my heart.

3. The first time Blake could feel our son kicking and his little "ooh" sound that he made each time he did get to feel him. Also Blake complaining of heartburn when I'm the one supposed to be getting it, does that mean my baby is going to be bald?

4. Having an excuse at work to get away from my desk for a while because of my urge to go pee every half hour. My incredible ability to put away my whole lunch before 10 am and still be starving.

5. My mom getting to be there for the 4-D ultrasound and how nice my ultrasound tech was - she gave me more videos of my little guy then what i paid for, but i just love to watch him move around!

6. Speaking of moving around... my new favorite thing is to play " guess that body part" he is getting SO strong that at time i feel he is going to burst right through my skin. some how he can kick my ribs and my bladder at the same time! its like jaws when hes moving around in my tummy a ripple here.. then a ripple on the other side.

7. When Blake falls asleep using my tummy as a pillow and the baby continues to kick his face like he knows its Blake and he's telling him to stop snoring.

8. When i sing "I am a child a God" He turns into a kicking machine ; i think he likes that song.

9. His hiccups. Even though they come bang right at 11pm when i am lying down to sleep i love knowing he is there and that constant reminder.

10. The Teenie tiny baby clothes I've already collected; he is going to be so spoiled that's for sure. I'm in love with baby shoes, even though they don't need shows and they will just fall off and you will never have a pair again, i can't help it, they are so cute!! i bought a pair of these monkey slippers , i cant wait to put them on him!!

i just can't wait !!!

just a sneak peak of our family pictures, still waiting for the rest of them!
as you can tell our family really enjoys there red vehicles!
we came home from church on Christmas day and my dad had parked all 4 vehicles on our front lawn ; he's named them and everything.. just a minor obsession :P

boy oh boy!

We have a little more news to share, too — we’re having a boy. We’re working on names as we speak.. he's going to love i put this on my blog for all my friends and family to see, just wait :P All i can say is our little boy was not shy for the Tech AT ALL. he was all "look at me spread eagle and every angle we tried" but i am so excited i can wait to hold our little boy!!!

We originally weren't going to tell anyone because my dad didn't want to know. But.. we slipped ALOT and so it just got to the point where it was annoying to have to remember to say "it or the baby" instead of "he". so on my trip down to black friday with my parents i told my dad you know what we are having a boy, there i said it and now you know! haha

It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the physical changes and feelings of pregnancy these days. Feeling tired, feeling nauseated, expanding everywhere … but then I’m brought back to reality and am humbled with the incredible miracle of motherhood. It is indeed a miracle. It’s so wild to think that our baby — who started as two cells — is now the size of a squash. I’m not sure why the baby books all use fruits and vegetables to explain the size of your child, but a squash he is!

What a miracle to see the ultrasounds … absolutely incredible. I want to stay there for hours watching our sweet baby on the screen. It is so fascinating and reassuring to see the baby moving and all his precious growing body parts. It’s just wild.

One of the best parts of motherhood is that it teaches you selflessness. It’s not about me anymore, but about the baby.

I’ve been exercising, but maybe not as regularly as I should. I’ve always worked out but it’s a whole new experience these days! The baby is just chillin’ right on top of my bladder, using it as a water bed. And I don’t know about other mommies-to-be, but it’s tough to find a sports bra with enough support to keep my chest comfortable — a new problem for me! I’m busting out!!

So i used to have a really great memory, i was working at superstore and had every code memorized and even some of the bulk items. I used to bug Blake that he was so forgetful, like the one time we were going to West Ed and i printed out coupons so we didn't have to spend and arm and a leg to go swimming and we got to red deer and i asked him where the coupons were and he said at home.. on the printer. i was quite upset saying things like "i can't believe you forgot! your memory is just the worst!"

well now its time to eat my words. This pregnancy brain is going to be the death of me, one of my pet peeves is happening to me and i can't seem to make it stop! I have now started asking Blake to remind me to do things.. he sends me a calendar invite so my phone will beep so i don't forget things. The 1 time i didn't tell him to remind me about a dr's appointment i decided to take the bus to work only to realize i had to leave early to go to a dr's appointment on the other side of the city, unreachable by public transit and i couldn't remember what time it was at either. lets just say 10 more weeks give or take and i will hopefully be back to my regular non forgetful self! :)

This baby could be here within the next 71 days, i can't believe how fast time is flying by!!! I am so excited to be a mother! :)

my favorite thing so far is how excited blake gets when he can see and feel him moving all over and when he kisses me and my tummy goodbye in the morning :)

The niche!

So,
If any of you who read my blog are in Lethbridge, you need to go check out my friend Nysha's Blog." The Niche"
Nysha had a baby last year and was on Maternity leave, i was so upset as i didn't get a good hair cut for over a year. But she is back and cutting hair out of her house.
She is a great stylist, she knows exactly what your describing you want and offers her advice as well.
I highly recommend her to everyone ! Go check out her blog for services and prices!!

i just love being pregnant!

Pregnancy has been SO good to me!

I experienced 0 morning sickness and have had 0 signs of heart burn.

Baby has been kicking since 18 weeks and Blake just loves to feel it! Luckily for him he can feel it when it is convenient for him.. not at 3 in the morning like me! :P

This baby is going to be just like Blake. STUBBORN! i can already tell.

It will be non stop kicking for 5 minutes straight and then when Blake puts his hand on my tummy to feel suddenly we no longer have a showoff!

My dad wants the sex of the baby to be a surprise, thats why we aren't really telling anyone... Family knows but they have to keep it zipped while dad is around! My mom purposely says She to get him going and next time she will say he. Its getting harder and harder to not slip!

I can say so far i've loved being pregnant... its the whole "exit strategy" that has got me nervous!

1 more month to go until i am in my 3rd trimester so crazy to think how time flies!

i really thought i was starting to show already... 9 weeks!

 this is the stage i call - looks like i just ate too much cake

 starting to get there 13 weeks!

 15 weeks

 16 weeks

 i look 37 weeks in this, but its just my shirt in a weird way haha i'm only 17 weeks!

 18 weeks

19 weeks i'm now known as "the pregnant lady" at work

20 weeks ! half way! we were housing sitting so the picture didn't get taken in "the usual spot"

 21 weeks

22 weeks! 

23 weeks! only 17 more to go!
today my once upon a time innie belly button has now decided it just can't handle the pressure anymore and gave in.. or out? i can't believe how much my tummy has grown! and theres still more to go!

My little sweetheart! i can't wait !!!!

:D :D

what do you think?

boy or girl???

a picture of "it" waving, good news is its right hand has 5 fingers!

check!

So the 360 resteraunt on top of the calgary tower has been on my bucket list as well as my moms. A couple of weekends ago my mom,dad, nicholas , todd and becky all came up and we went for dinner.

The heights didn't bother me but the plexi glass floor sure made me dizzy!

We had lots of fun , despite how expensive it was it is now checked off my list !

Life is great and I'm super excited for blake and my week off as he will start up school again and we will be back to seeing each other 5 mins a day between work and homework. We are headed down to kalispell for 3 days, and to hang out with family for the last time in a while as blake has 9 classes this semester and he is going to be a busy busy boy!!

We enjoyed our weekend out at the ridge with the jet ski and the tube , my neck sure is sore though!

Its always fun to spend time with my mom :)